CONSTITUTION DRAFTING CHIEF SAYS FRANKLY BASIC LAW UNLIKELY TO BE PROMULGATED

CHIEF OF CONSTITUTION DRAFTING COMMITTEE NILAMBAR ACHARYA SAID CONSTITUTION DRAFT UNLIKELY TO BE PROMULGATED

Kathmandu, 2 Aug.: Nilambar Acharya, chief of the main constitution drafting committee. told Radio Nepal Tuesday morning a constitution is unlikely to be completed in the remaining one month.
“The five-point agreement wasn’t implemented in two months The constitution drafting was to be completed in three months. It’s not practical to think it will be completed in one month.
“All effective leaders should be in government for collective leadership, “Acharya said.
He said all ‘effective leaders’ should in government for drafting a constitution.
“Problems in political parties have peaked. This has stalled. constitution drafting Prominent party leaders aren’t involved. They are involved in other issues. This has affected constitution drafting,” Acharya added.
“Leadership of parties have to take politics in the right direction
If present situation continues, we can’t fulfill responsibilities. This is clear. Leave aside drafting a constitution not even basics aren’t discussed. This attitude has to change.
I fear attitude won’t change. Still effort has to be made despite all forms of crisis.”
Acharya added: “ There should be power-sharing and a common stance. should be developed There’s no attitude to form common stance. Leaders are busy onlv to save the prime ministerial chair,” he added in a frank assessment.
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UDMF FORGING COMMON STANCE ON STATE RESTRUCTURING

Kathmandu, 2 Aug.: A five-party United Democratic Madeshi Front (UDMF) is developing a common stance of state restructuring.
A meeting Monday endorsed a conduct of conduct for the members.
The Front and the Big Three-Maoists. UML and main opposition NC.meet Tuesday.
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INDIA STOPS UNILATERAL BORDER ROAD CONSTRUXRION IN FAR-EAST

Kathmandu, 2 Aug: India has stopped construction of its road project after Nepalu authorities raised the issue of road construction in Khajugachhi of Jhapa district encroaching on the border, RSS reports from Damak.
CDO of Jhapa Gehanath Bhandari said his Indian counterpart had written to him saying the construction of the road would resume under mutual consent.
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NEPAL-KUWAIT CHAMBER OFCOMMERCE FORMED

Kathmandu, 2 Aug.: Nepal-Kuwait Chamber of Commerce (NKCCI) was launched in the capital Monday.
The body will explore trade and investment opportunities.
NKCCI will push formation of a Kuwait embassy in Kathmandu; Nepal has an embassy in Kuwait.
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INDIA IMPOSES 5 PERCENT DUTY ON NEPALI METAL PRODUCTS

Kathmandu, 2 Aug.: India has imposed 5 percent excise duty on metal products making it difficult for Nepali metal products to compete in the Indian market, Republica reports.

The decision goes against the Indian budgetary announcement of imposing 1 percent excise duty on metal products.
In its budget for fiscal year 2011/12, the Indian government had announced one percent excise duty on 102 items, including metal products. The decision affects export of Nepali brass, copper and aluminum products to India.

Hit hard by the unexpected duty hike, metal exporters have approached the Ministry of Commerce and Supplies (MoCS), seeking the latter´s initiative to resolve the issue. Bijay Metal Industry (BMI) -- one of the leading exporters of metal products -- has formally requested the ministry for diplomatic initiative to end the problem, a high level source at the MoCS told Republica on Monday. The Nepalgunj-based firm has been producing metal utensils from its four manufacturing units in Surkhet Road.

“We have received information about India imposing additional excise duty on other commodities as well. We will raise the issue in the upcoming Inter-Governmental Meeting (IGC) with India," said the source.

Kanhaiya Lal Baidhya, proprietor of BMI, said fresh rise in excise duty by India will has discouraged Nepali metal producers. “My firm had exported metal products worth Rs 200 million to India last year. But rise in excise duty has made our products expensive in the Indian market,” Baidhya added.

According to Baidhya, Nepali metal producers have been maintaining value addition of more than 30 percent. Nepal exported copper and articles worth Rs 1.46 billion during the first eleven months of the fiscal year 2010/11, a rise of 1.5 percent over the corresponding period last year. Nepal had imported copper and articles amounting to Rs 2.3 billion and aluminum worth Rs 2.41 billion during the first eleven months of the fiscal year 2010/11, a rise of whopping 78.4 percent and 37.5 percent respectively over import figures of the same period of 2009/10. Nepal had imported aluminum and articles worth Rs 2.2 billion in 2009/10.
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PM KHANAL IN ABSOLUTE MINOTITY IN PARTY SCkanalKhanal in absolute minority in UML SC

Kathmandu, 2Aug.: Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal has found himself in an absolute minority in his party´s standing committee on the issue of inducting new Maoist ministers into the cabinet, Repubiica reports .

At the 11-member standing committee meeting held on Monday, only party Vice-chairman Bamdev Gautam backed party Chairman Khanal´s proposal to reshuffle the cabinet and induct the Maoist ministers.
The rest of the members were against reshuffling the cabinet and wanted to take the issue to the party´s central committee for a final decision.

After hours-long deliberations, the SC meeting passed minutes of the meeting asking the prime minister to stall the swearing-in ceremony and also decided to call the party´s central committee meeting for August 6.

SC members Yubaraj Gyawali, Bharatmohan Adhikari, Amrit Bohara and Siddhi Lal Singh, who have traditionally supported the prime minister, also spoke in favor of stalling the swearing-in ceremony. Vice-chairpersons Ashok Rai and Bidya Bhandari, however, were absent. While Rai is supposedly close to Khanal, Bhandari is loyal to the Nepal-Oli faction.

Prime Minister Khanal and Gautam left the party head office without signing the minutes.

After an overwhelming majority in the SC insisted on taking an institutional decision against inducting new ministers in the cabinet, Prime Minister Khanal called up Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal from the meeting itself and requested him to postpone the swearing-in. As Dahal refused to back down Prime Minister Khanal then requested the SC members not to take any formal decision against the swearing-in and argued that a cabinet reshuffle was his special prerogative.

Nepal-Oli faction to propose withdrawal from govt

Emboldened by overwhelming majority against party Chairman Khanal at the standing committee, the Nepal-Oli faction has planned to table a proposal at the central committee meeting to withdraw the party from the government.

"Since the prime minister, who is also party chairman, clearly showed that he is not going to implement the party decisions, the leaders have made up their minds that a proposal to withdraw the party from the government should be tabled at the central committee and endorsed," said a standing committee member preferring anonymity.

The leader said the new development in the party´s power equation clearly indicated that such a proposal would get endorsed by a clear majority.

However, Minister for the Office of Prime Minister and Council of Ministers Ghanshyam Bhusal, who is close to the prime minister, said the rival faction was against his politically proper exit from the government.

"The prime minister´s statement Monday is an effort to create an environment conductive to advancing the peace process. It will help pave the way for his politically proper exit even if it fails to yield any result in the peace process," said Bhusal. "But his rivals don´t want progress in the peace process in the remaining time and they want Khanal´s exit in an unpolitical manner."

The whirlwind turn of events on Monday has caused tremors in the party leadership and rank and file as well.

Party politburo member and spokesperson Pradeep Gyawali couldn´t help mentioning the party´s politics in his Facebook status later at 10 pm.

"Who will follow the party decision if the chairman himself disobeys institutional process? Today will be marked as an unfortunate date in the UML´s history. Will we be able to save the party from being a helpless shadow of others?" stated the party spokesperson´s Facebook status.
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